This chapter is more of a side story and also serves as a prelude to Kyoto Arc. I was going to write more to this chapter but I decide against it as I want the new chapter to have a completely different mood from this one.

A little suggestion for your entertainment, I strongly recommended that you listen to Cavalleria rusticana - Intermezzo (orchestra) while reading this chapter for an extra effect on your mood. But if you prefer reading it quietly, that should be fine too.

Now my to dear reviewers, thank you, as always. Up until this point in the story I start to feel some of you will be my regular reviewers and that makes my heart puffed with happiness and anticipation every time I post a new chapter. I'll keep working hard on this fic as my thanks to you.

reesessweetie I'm sorry this chapter is not very long but I promise you I'll try a longer one on the next chapter. As for the size of Kyoto, yes it is BIG. It even has its own Go institute which is, in a way, a branch of Tokyo's Go association but they work separately since the end of WWII. It's called Kansai Ki-in. (Tokyo's called Nihon Ki-in)hint: remember the guy named Yashiro?

otakuzen You held back your temper! I was really angry (even though I was the one coming up with the plot) I promise you these two (and Mitsuko) will get back what they deserve!

Kanrei Yes! And he did fulfill his request unintentionally. I bet he'd turn Akira down if he knew who he was. Sad~ it's their first and final game (for now)

Anonymous Hope you prepare some tissue for this chapter. Don't forget to turn on the suggested track, have it on repeatedly would be even better!

Hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoy writing it :D See you again soon!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go

"So you're saying…you quit playing Go?" Torajirou's right brow lifted up slightly as he directed his gaze to his student. His hand alternated the black and white stones onto the board while lazily sitting cross-legged on the cushion.

"There's no point playing when I can't become a pro." Hikaru huffed angrily as he was squatting outside, his hands vigorously pulled out the weeds in his master's garden as if the grasses had wrong him in some way.

"Pity," the Go master said, pursing his lips as if he tried to suppress his darkened mood to himself. Hikaru wasn't so ignorant of his teacher's irritating gesture. He had spent ¼ of the day playing with the guy every night that he came to know his personal tutor so well, far too well…

"Stop pouting like some silly girl! Spill it!" Hikaru spat heatedly.

"Are you talking about yourself? I can only see one silly kid here and that brat is certainly not me." He said in a provoking tone that had dealt its effect beautifully on the boy, judging from how fast Hikaru immediately jumped to his feet in fury.

"What do you know? You were the child prodigy who was taken away to play games for living. I have to quit if I wish to live in this family." He glared daringly at his master.

A seat cushion flew directly into Hikaru's face, successfully silencing his whining. "I would still play even if I couldn't make any money out of it. I was never someone who would dwell on a petty reason like becoming a pro to play more games." Torajirou bellowed angrily. His face was bright red with rage.

"Oh? Then please tell me what is your noble reason," Hikaru said sarcastically. Torajirou, on the other hand, had grown quiet, only his eyes shone brightly with determination.

"The Hand of God" he said firmly, his hands started curling together into two fists. "The divine move which can change the outcome of the entire game, I play Go to find such move." Torajirou's powerful tone had silenced all the noise that surrounded the two of them. Hikaru felt as if his soul was gradually settled down, as if he had finally found his true purpose in life. That hand, that move, he wanted it too. No, no matter what it takes, he would reach it.

"Well, if there is such a move waiting for me to reach, it'd be such a waste to throw away any possible chance to find it now." the seven year old smirked arrogantly at his master who had replied his cockiness with a mock scowl.

"You're a life time too early to say that phrase, you shorty brat. Now pick up my seat and we can start playing." Torajirou demanded loudly, his arms were crossed over his chest as if to display his authoritative figure to his student. Hikaru threw his master's cushion back inside the house, irritated at being called shorty by the not so very tall Edo man.

"Shut up, you old geezer! Like you are the one to talk," the boy fumed as he jumped onto his seat in front of the old Kaya Goban.

~o0O0o~

Sai opened his eyes to another fine day. The skin around his eyes was wrinkled and swollen. He had cried himself to sleep last night. His dear Hikaru had returned home by himself, his socks were completely ruined. But what Sai really concerned the most was his brother's expression. Hikaru's face was blank and emotionless and his once pink cheeks were pale and stained with tears. If there was any one in this world to blame for his brother's state, it would be him. Yes, he, Fujiwara Sai, the teen prodigy who took away the twinkles in his little brother's eyes, wiped away the brightest smiles on the boy's face. He was the cruel, jealous brother who ripped away the chance from his little prodigy to appear on the surface of the Go world.

"No, they can't take him away from me." He whispered to himself. His face had become stiff and stern as he wiped away another tear that had escaped his eyelid. Sai quickly pulled himself up to a sitting position, taking a deep breath as he made up his mind.

He slowly stepped down the stairs. Sai felt his feet getting heavier with every step that brought him closer to the kitchen. 'Hikaru must have felt even worse than this.' He chanted the phrase to himself like a priest would do to a mantra. His hand shook nervously as he grabbed onto the shoji door.

"Mother, I need to talk to you." the teen fixed his gaze on his mother's back.

"Not now, dear, I'm making a bento for Hikaru. Can you please go help your brother pack his things?"

"It's about Hikaru" Sai pressed his point calmly. Mitsuko halted her hands as she slowly turned towards her older son who pressed his lips together to force down his trembling voice. "I cannot let him go to Kyoto."

Mitsuko sighed audibly. "Sai, we've already talked about this countless times before. I will not take back my decision."

"I'll quit Go." the statement came down like a lightening struck in the middle of Fujiwara household "I'll quit being a pro and take over the business. If that what it takes to allow him to play Go, I'll give up Go myself." Sai bit his lips to force down his tears.

"What are you saying, nii-chan?" Hikaru suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Sai thought he could see his brother's eyes sparkled for a short moment before they dimmed down to a dull green. "Mom, did you pack my sneakers? I can't find them anywhere." he turned to the still stunned Mitsuko who whimpered back a quiet 'yes'

"Then I'm done packing," Little Hikaru turned his attention to his pale brother who looked very surprised when the seven year old began talking to him "Will you come to my room for a moment? I have something for you." Hikaru smiled awkwardly.

The two took a few steps up the stairs and they both ended up standing in Hikaru's relatively vacant room. Hikaru took out his keychain, one that he attached to a set of keys. He picked one of them and inserted it into the drawer of his desk, revealing the kifus and Go books he had been hiding from their mother for all these years. His hands dug into the deeper part of the drawer, drawing out an old slim box before turning to face Sai.

"I know it's late but I couldn't find a chance to give you this. It might not worth much compare to dad's business suit and mom's kimono, oh, and grandpa's Go set as well, but I did my best getting you this." Hikaru handed him the slender box "Congratulation on passing the pro exam, nii-chan." Hikaru said with his trembling voice "And I'm sorry I said those terrible things to you. I really didn't mean it, any of it," he bit down hard on his lips as loneliness clenched down tighter on his heart. Every second that ticked away signaled the ending of their time together. How much time does he have left? How long before his grandparents would arrive at their doorstep and called him away from his brother's warm hug? Will they ever see each other again? Hikaru wished with all his heart to take back those times they spent together and started to cherish them all over again. He wished he would never have to leave his brother's side. The boy walked unsteadily towards his teen brother. He hesitated for a moment when Sai didn't reach out for him. Hikaru accidentally let out a quiet sob as his hands desperately reached out to his brother. He wanted to tell him how he really felt, had even wanted his true feeling to replace those hurtful words he shouted at his lovely brother if it was possible.

A pair of strong arms suddenly wrapped around Hikaru's shoulders. He felt drops of tear grazed pass his cheeks before his face was rest onto Sai's trembling body. "I know Hikaru. You didn't hurt me at all." Sai's voice had faded into a sob as he knelt down to hide Hikaru's form into his chest, wishing he could really hide his dear brother from his grandparents' grasp. "You don't have to go, Hikaru. We can stay together. We will play together forever like we promised. Just let me talk to them again," Sai was barely conversational as he clung to Hikaru tightly, tears after tears streamed down from his swollen eyes but Hikaru shook his head slowly.

"You're special, nii-chan. We both know that very well. If there is someone who can carry on my dream of being a pro, it'd be you." Hikaru smiled despite his heavily teary face. "Please take care of my dream from now on," and he sobbed into Sai's warm chest.

~o0O0o~

Touya Akira could not get rid of his frustration. Had he not prepared to face the boy? No, he had been doing all he could for the past three months. He had even played countless games with Fujiwara-san in order to study the boy's style. So what had gone wrong?

Akira was quiet as he was replaying the game in his mind. He had even forgotten that he was sitting at the dining table, having the first meal of the day with his family.

"Fujiwara-san is not coming to the study group today? That is very unusual of him. I thought he would still come even if there was an earthquake going." Touya Akiko teased lightheartedly. Touya Kouyo kept his gaze on his dear son, not really paying attention to his wife. He knew that she was good-natured, only sometimes, her joke had gone too far, but he was still certain that it was not intentional.

"I'm certain it was an urgent matter. He called me this morning, saying he'd need to see his brother off." Kouyo's reply had perked some interest in his son as the boy suddenly shot up in his seat after hearing that sentence. It was not in his father's personality to announce whatever that considered someone else's business to those who had nothing to do with the matter. Akira assumed that his father had hinted something at him.

"Sending his brother off…to where?" Akira didn't even notice that he had stuttered when he finally asked the question.

Kouyo shook his head slowly but he still answered his son. "I can only guess," he thought back to the two guests from an old capital who had come to visit him yesterday. The male guest was wearing a fine kimono with striking familiar crests on his chest, the exactly same design as those on the certain pro's kimono which he wore during the certificate ceremony weeks ago.

Akira's eyes widened in horror as he listened to his father's assumption, he bolted out to the phone, started dialing numbers into the receiver. After a hurried conversation with a person on the other side of the line, he made another bolt to the entrance. His mother called after him.

"Akira, where are you going? What about your breakfast?"

"I'm really sorry, mother, but I'm going to the Shinkansen station. Please go on without me."

~o0O0o~

The station guards were blowing their whistles, signaling the train's departure. Hikaru looked up at his brother as he tugged on Sai's hand, unwilling to let go. His eyes once again, became watery.

"Nii-chan, will I see you again?"

"Of course, Hikaru, I'll go visit you as often as I can. You better improve your skill. I don't want to keep beating you down any more."

"Geez, I'll win next time we play. You better prepare yourself." Hikaru hopped onto the train. He was still lingered by the window when the train sent off the last signal. Sai didn't move away either.

"I'll call you everyday. Eat your vegetables or you won't grow taller." Sai started to wave at his little brother who stalled back by the closing door in order to wave back at him.

"I will miss you, nii-chan." Hikaru shouted. He didn't bother to hide his tears any more. Sai didn't shout back. He only smiled sweetly as he kept waving his arm, his moist eyes finally let loose a few drops, his other hand gripped tightly on his new fan.

"I love you, Hikaru." he whispered longingly as the train took off.